The Kent County Sheriff Department has announced the addition of three new K9 teams. They recently activated two additional teams (for 24-hour K9 coverage) on patrol and one in corrections.

“From left to right, meet Blu, Duke, and Shadow, who were each picked after an extensive selection process by their respective handlers,” it said in an announcement of the KCSD Facebook page. “This is a first go-around for Deputies Whelan, Wierda, and Gonzalez, too, who kicked their K9 handling career off with a tedious 6-week training academy in Indiana, in which they were only able to come home to see their families on the weekends which was a huge commitment.

“These dogs come to us from Germany and Hungry through Von Liche Kennel in Denver Indiana, and they have already proven to be absolute rock stars on duty as they hit the ground running (quite literally) right on their first shifts. We are excited to share their progress with you in the coming months, and again want to thank our donors who have made this program possible. The K9 Unit remains 100 percent donation funded, which is incredible, and it speaks to this community’s commitment to engage in its own safety and well-being by investing in one of the most valuable and effective tools that we have in law enforcement.”